Nettle Soup

Spring crops may be a few weeks off yet – but the weeds are ready to harvest.

This vibrant soup combines the new season’s nettles with last season’s potatoes and onions.

Ingredients (serves 2)

25g (1oz) butter

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed

150g (5½oz) potatoes, peeled and diced

600ml (1pt) vegetable stock

250g (9oz) young nettle leaves, with any tough stalks removed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lemon juice

Sour cream

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic, fry them gently for three minutes, then add the potato and cook for a further two minutes.

2. Add the stock and bring it to the boil. Cover the pan, reduce the heat, and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potato is soft.

3. Add the nettles and let the soup simmer for another five minutes.

4. Let the soup cool to a safe temperature, then liquidise it. Return it to the pan, season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice, and reheat it to serving temperature.

5. Divide the soup between two bowls and add a spoonful of sour cream to each one.

About the Author

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Steve Ott

Steve Ott is editor of Kitchen Garden magazine and started his career as a professional grower, producing everything from cut flowers to vegetables. He has been growing fruit and veg all his life and spends most of his spare time in his garden in the East Midlands. He loves to experiment with crops and varieties he has never grown before and when he isn’t gardening is to be found out in the countryside bird watching and walking his dog Ted.

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